MLB

A Mickey Mantle baseball card just sold for $5.2 MILLION at auction ... smashing the previous record by over a million bucks!!

The 5 million dollar card?? A 1952 #311 Topps Mickey Mantle ... considered one of the most desirable trading cards in existence.

We're told the card -- graded in mint condition and 1 of only a few in existence -- was brokered by the people at the online auction site, PWCC.

Aside from Mickey being a 20x All-Star and 7x World Series champ ... 1952 was also the 1st year Topps produced baseball cards.

This isn't the only time this particular Mantle card has been sold ... back in 2018 it raked in $2.88 mil at auction. 2 years later ... it's almost doubled in value.

Before the Mantle card set the new record ...a Mike Trout 2009 Bowman Chrome Draft Prospects Superfractor held the title -- with a $3.9 million price tag.

So, who has a big enough fortune to drop $5 mil plus on a 2 1/2 by 3 1/2 inch (albeit extremely valuable) piece of cardboard?

The guys' name is Rob Gough ... and if that name rings a bell, it's because he's the man behind the iconic CBD brand, DOPE CBD.

Rob's bank account is $5 mil lighter today ... but on the bright side, he now owns the most valuable baseball card ever made.

Did you know Yankees centerfielder Aaron Hicks is really good at hitting fastballs AND stationary golf balls?!

It's true ... check out footage of the 31-year-old MLB player at Top Golf this month -- DUDE HAS AN INSANE SWING!!!

Hicks' brother posted the clip to social media Monday ... showing Hicks sending a golf ball into orbit with one monstrous stroke.

You can see in the video ... the ball cleared the range -- well over the netting some 300 yards away -- and according to the Hicks bros, it CARRIED 330 yards before finally touching down!!

"Light work," the Hicks bros captioned the vid.

If this looks familiar ... it's 'cause it kind of is when it comes to MLB stars on the driving range -- remember when Nelson Cruz launched one into outer space at a Top Golf last year??

A 3rd ring is on the horizon for Mookie Betts, 'cause the Dodgers superstar just popped the question to longtime GF Brianna Hammonds -- and she said yes!!!!

28-year-old Betts and Hammonds met way back in middle school ... and have been dating for 15 years. They have a 2-year-old baby girl together.

Of course, Mookie is fresh off winning a World Series ring with the Dodgers (his 2nd WS title) ... but says this is the real highlight.

"Winning another World Series was great, but putting a ring on MY MVP is the REAL BLESSING! I am a blessed man," Betts says.

"(Brianna) has been by my side since we were teenagers. Together we’ve grown mentally, physically, and spiritually. She is my best friend, mother of my child, my lover and my soon to be wife."

As for the ring ... it's a huge 7-carat rock, according to People.

And get this, Betts got an assist from his buddy C.C. Sabathia for the big moment -- the ex-MLB ace staged an awards ceremony to honor Mookie with his pitch in Foundation's 2020 Legacy Award ... but there was a huge surprise.

During his acceptance speech, Mookie revealed the real reason for the night -- he asked Brianna on stage, read her a heartfelt poem and then got on one knee!!

Tommy Lasorda -- a Dodgers legend and arguably the most famous manager in MLB history -- has died, TMZ Sports has confirmed.

He was 93 years old.

The Dodgers released a statement Friday morning ... saying Lasorda suffered a sudden cardiac arrest at his California home and was transported to the hospital with resuscitation in progress.

He was pronounced dead at 10:57 PM Thursday night.

As we previously reported, Lasorda was admitted to a Southern California hospital back in mid-November in "serious condition" ... and required sedation. He was also put on a ventilator.

But, Tommy's condition improved over the past few weeks ... and just a few days ago, he returned home.

Though, tragically, Lasorda passed on Thursday.

"Words can not express my feelings," legendary manager Bobby Valentine said on Twitter. "A friend and mentor for 52 years is no longer with us. Tommy no one will ever fill the void you left. Thank you for everything. R.I.P."

Lasorda was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1997. He led L.A. to World Series titles in 1981 and 1988.

Lasorda also won Manager of the Year twice in 1983 and 1988.

"In a franchise that has celebrated such great legends of the game, no one who wore the uniform embodied the Dodger spirit as much as Tommy Lasorda," Dodgers president Stan Kasten said.

"A tireless spokesman for baseball, his dedication to the sport and the team he loved was unmatched."

Kasten continued, "The Dodgers and their fans will miss him terribly. Tommy is quite simply irreplaceable and unforgettable."

Lasorda wasn't only a big deal on the baseball field ... he became an incredibly popular pitch man in the 90's -- starring in commercials for brands like Slim Fast.

Cleveland's baseball team no longer has a permanent name OR a star shortstop ... 'cause the Indians just traded away Francisco Lindor in a blockbuster deal with the Mets.

The swap was just finalized Thursday morning ... and it's a HUGE win for New York.

The Mets will reportedly get Lindor and star pitcher Carlos "Cookie" Carrasco ... all in exchange for infielder Amed Rosario, shortstop Andrés Giménez, and a pair of minor leaguers.

Not bad for the Mets at all ... considering Lindor has all the makings of a future Hall of Famer.

In just 6 years with Cleveland, Lindor made 4 All-Star teams, hit 138 home runs and stole 99 bases.

In fact, the Indians would have no doubt kept him if his contract demands weren't so sky-high.

As for Carrasco, he's been slowly regaining his ace form since his 2019 battle with leukemia -- posting a 2.91 ERA in the shortened 2020 season -- and he should slide right into a stacked Mets rotation that will feature Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard.

Mets pitcher Marcus Stroman summed up all of New York's feelings on the matter nicely in tweets on Thursday, writing, "I’m turnt right now. Lol @Mets."

Stro added, "You’re a legend @StevenACohen2!"

Huge breakthrough for Tommy Lasorda -- the Los Angeles Dodgers legend has returned home after spending more than a month in the hospital battling heart issues.

As we previously reported, the 93-year-old former skipper was admitted to a Southern California facility in "serious condition" in mid-November. He required sedation and was put on a ventilator.

Worth noting -- we're told the issues were NOT COVID-19 related.

Lasorda spent 2 weeks in the Intensive Care Unit before beginning rehab at the hospital in Orange County ... and began making strides in recovery.

Now, TMZ Sports has confirmed Lasorda has finally made it back home.

The Baseball Hall of Famer is one of the greatest MLB managers of all-time ... leading L.A. to World Series titles in 1981 and 1988.

He also won Manager of the Year twice -- in 1983 and 1988.

Before that, he was a pitcher for the Brooklyn Dodgers from 1954-55 ... so yeah, the guy bleeds Dodger Blue.

The Red Sox have just made some very cool history ... the MLB org hired Bianca Smith to help its minor league players, making her the 1st black female coach EVER in pro baseball.

Boston made the move official late Monday night ... bringing 29-year-old Smith on board to coach Sox prospects in Fort Myers, FL beginning later this offseason.

"The opportunity is amazing," Smith said of the hiring on MLB Network. "I'm still wrapping my head around it. I probably won't have it sink in until I'm actually there."

Smith continued, "But I think it's a great opportunity also to just kind of inspire other women who are interested in this game."

Smith has some serious roots in the game already despite being so young ... she's held internships with several MLB orgs previously and is currently a hitting coordinator and assistant coach at Carroll University in Wisconsin.

Smith -- who played softball at Dartmouth College -- also worked as an assistant coach at University of Dallas in 2018 and was the director of baseball operations for several years at Case Western Reserve University prior to that.

Smith says she's fired up to continue moving up the ranks in the MLB ... and her historic hire has already caught the eye of several prominent athletes, including Billie Jean King.

"Congratulations to Bianca Smith, who was just hired by the ⁦@RedSox⁩ as a minor league coach," the tennis legend said on Twitter. "She will be the first Black woman to coach in professional baseball history. See it. Be it! #RepresentationMatters #MLB."

Hall of Fame pitcher Phil Niekro -- famous for his wicked knuckleball that allowed him to pitch as an older guy -- has died.

The Atlanta Braves made the announcement Sunday, saying Niekro passed away Saturday in his sleep at his home in the ATL suburb of Flowery Branch. They say he'd been battling cancer for a while.

The Braves heaped praise on Phil ... "Knucksie was woven into the Braves fabric, first in Milwaukee and then in Atlanta. Phil baffled batters on the field and later was always the first to join in our community activities." They add that he was a longtime presence in their clubhouse and community for years to come after finally retiring from baseball in 1987.

Niekro was one of the rare knuckleball pitchers who could seemingly wield an uncontrollable and unpredictable pitch ... a rare skill that helped him stay on the mound well into his 40s, which isn't all that common in baseball (for pitchers, anyway). And, yes, his stuff was nasty.

He had a cumulative ERA of 3.35 over the course of his 23-year career, with a total of 3,342 strikeouts and a win record of 318. Phil got his start in the big leagues with the Braves in '64 and played for them until 1983, at which he began to bounce around a few different teams.

The man played for the Yankees, the Indians, the Blue Jays ... and finally, circled back to his first love and ended his career in Atlanta. During his final outing on September 27, he received a massive standing ovation from the crowd as he bid them and baseball adieu.

Phil was a five-time gold glove winner and a five-time all-star, plus the recipient of tons of other accolades ... including the MLB ERA leader at one point, the National League strikeout leader and more. PN was inducted into the MLB HOF in 1997 as fifth ballot candidate.

He's survived by his wife, Nancy, his three sons and grandchildren. He was 81.

Tony La Russa pled guilty to reckless driving Monday -- nearly a full year after he was arrested in February -- and now, the White Sox manager is expressing serious remorse over the incident.

La Russa was busted back on Feb. 24 after cops believed he had been drinking and driving.

In police documents, cops said the 76-year-old had wrecked his car in Phoenix, AZ -- and officers claimed he exhibited all the signs of being impaired when they questioned him.

Cops said La Russa smelled like alcohol, blew a .09 (the legal limit is .08) ... and then became combative.

In the docs, police said La Russa -- who admitted to drinking wine prior to getting behind the wheel -- told officers, "I'm legit. I'm a Hall of Famer, brother. You're trying to embarrass me."

Cops say bloodwork on La Russa ultimately showed he had a BAC of .095 ... and he was eventually hit with two misdemeanor DUI charges.

Courts records, though, show La Russa reached a deal with prosecutors Monday ... in which he agreed to plead guilty to a reduced charge of reckless driving.

In exchange, prosecutors agreed to drop the other DUI charge.

As part of La Russa's sentencing, he was ordered to spend one day in jail -- though La Russa will be allowed to serve it via home confinement, according to his attorney, Larry Kazan.

Kazan also said La Russa will pay a $1,300 fine and do 20 hours of community service as part of his sentencing.

"Mr. La Russa knows he made a mistake last February and deeply regrets it," Kazan said in a statement. "He is embarrassed and concerned. He knows what he did was wrong."

Cy Young winner Shane Bieber is spreading some holiday cheer this week ... by surprising some huge Cleveland baseball fans in the hospital with virtual meet and greets!!

The 25-year-old ace spent some 1-on-1 time with several children at Cleveland Clinic ... talkin' baseball, asking about their holiday wish lists and more.

And, get this -- the guy even got ROASTED by one fan over Cleveland's struggles in the postseason!!

"Welp, you haven't played too late into October, so I guess it wouldn't be that cold," the fan said with a smile ... clearly referencing the New York Yankees' quick 2-0 series win over Cleveland in the 2020 playoffs.

The star pitcher was able to laugh it off, saying, "I know right? it hasn't gotten that cold, but it gets cold early in the season."

The fan admitted he was just making a funny, replying, "I know, I was just messing with you."

The video is amazing ... and it's clear the fans are truly excited to speak with the 2019 All-Star MVP.

Bieber had one more surprise up his sleeve -- gifting each kid with a bunch of team merch.

Took long enough ... but Major League Baseball will finally recognize the Negro Leagues as a part of the Major Leagues.

MLB Commish Rob Manfred said the move will correct a "longtime oversight in the game’s history."

So, what does the distinction mean? A lot, actually.

Every single one of the 3,400 players who competed in the Negro Leagues from 1920 to 1948 will now be recognized by MLB as Major League ballplayers.

"Accordingly, the statistics and records of these players will become a part of Major League Baseball’s history," MLB announced.

It's a huge deal ... some of the greatest players of all-time were relegated to the Negro Leagues because of baseball's racist policy against Black players.

Of course, Jackie Robinson finally broke MLB's color barrier in 1947 ... and several players followed shortly after including Larry Doby, Roy Campanella, Satchel Paige, Willie Mays and more.

"All of us who love baseball have long known that the Negro Leagues produced many of our game’s best players, innovations and triumphs against a backdrop of injustice," Manfred said.

"We are now grateful to count the players of the Negro Leagues where they belong: as Major Leaguers within the official historical record."

MLB honored the 100th anniversary of the Negro Leagues on August 16, 2020 -- with all MLB players, managers, coaches and umpires wearing a symbolic Negro Leagues 100th Anniversary logo patch during that day’s games.

Omar Vizquel -- one of the greatest defensive shortstops ever -- is under MLB investigation over claims he beat his estranged wife ... but the ex-Cleveland superstar is flat-out denying the allegations.

According to The Athletic, Blanca Vizquel -- who married Omar in 2014 -- left the ex-baseball player in August and filed for divorce a short time later after she claims he was abusive toward her.

Blanca says the worst incident happened in 2016 ... claiming an argument escalated into a physical fight between the couple.

Blanca says she placed dumbbells behind a door to keep Omar away from her after the initial argument began ... but she claims the 5'9", 180-lb 3-time All-Star still barged through and shoved her nonetheless.

Blanca claims she injured her shin and broke nails as a result of the push ... and, initially, she sought to press charges against Omar -- who was arrested and booked for 4th-degree domestic assault as a result of the incident.

But, per The Athletic, Blanca later told prosecutors in a letter that she was changing her story and did NOT want the baseball player to criminally prosecuted. The case was dropped as a result.

Blanca -- who also claims there was a 2011 incident in which Omar was violent with her -- says things never quite got better, explaining everything all came to a head in Aug. 2020.

Blanca says the two got into a heated argument ... and she packed some belongings, called a domestic violence hotline, and bolted to a women's shelter some 10 hours away in Texas.

The Athletic reports she filed for a divorce a short time later.

"I made a decision to leave the house and not come back,” Blanca said. “I didn’t want to feel that feeling where you didn’t know if you’re gonna be safe.”

Omar, though, is ADAMANTLY denying any claims of abuse ... with his attorney saying the former shortstop "flatly denies any allegations of domestic violence.”

Omar himself added, "I don’t have anything to say. This is a divorce and I know she’s really pissed off. There is a lot of things [being said] out there about things supposedly happening behind closed doors, you know. I don't have anything to say about that, either. It’s just a divorce."

MLB officials say they're investigating everything ... and while Omar has not been employed by a team since he managed the White Sox's minor league affiliate, the Double-A Barons, in 2019 -- league officials are saying any punishment would affect a future role he receives in the MLB.

The Cleveland Indians changing their name will prevent Native Americans from taking their own lives -- this according to leaders in the community, who insist there's a connection.

Suicide is an enormous problem among Native Americans -- it's the 2nd leading cause of death, and is especially dire among the young.

As for why the name of a baseball team affects the suicide rate -- when Native Americans see non-Natives wearing sacred headdresses and mocking their people with mascots, names, antics, etc. -- it screws with their heads in a big way ... so says Prairie Bighorn-Blount, Executive Director of the American Indigenous Business Leaders. This, we're told, profoundly diminishes self-esteem as well as pride, and can create a severe identity crisis.

There's actual, hard proof to back this up ... namely a study of 600 Native Americans, the overwhelming majority saying they were highly offended by pro sports teams using nicknames related to Native Americans.

The groups we spoke with are thrilled Cleveland's changing its name, but they won't be satisfied until other teams follow. They're talkin' to you, the Kansas City Chiefs, the Atlanta Braves and Chicago Blackhawks.

The Cleveland Indians are reportedly going the way of the Washington Football Team -- they're finally changing their team name, although it's unclear what it will be.

The NYT reports an announcement from the team is expected sometime this week, and the news is they're dropping the "Indians" name -- which they've had since 1915 -- and will start a process of adopting something new.

Thing is ... the report says they'll probably keep their current name for the 2021 season, and officially lose it for 2022 -- all while engaging the public about an appropriate alternative. In the interim, the team is reportedly considering going by the Cleveland Baseball Team.

As for the famous logo of a Native American -- known as Chief Wahoo -- that image was retired a couple years back, and the team adopted a letter "C" as their new official symbol.

The move to drop "Indians" is a long time coming -- similar to how Washington dropped "Redskins" not too long ago. There's been mounting pressure for years from the Native American community, as many found the caricatures/nicknames downright degrading.

Some Cleveland fans love the original name -- but it's clear the team's management and ownership feel it's time to get with the times, and stop exploiting indigenous groups.

Tim Tebow would NOT be the best ex-NFL star in MLB if Russell Wilson changed sports ... so says the Seahawks QB himself, who explained Wednesday he thinks he's a better baseball player than Tim!!

"I always feel like baseball was actually my best sport," Russ said.

The 32-year-old Seattle star made the bold claim on Barstool Sports' "Pardon My Take" podcast this week ... saying he could have been a LEGIT MLBer if he had focused on that instead of football.

"Baseball was actually my love," Russ said. "I played that since I was young. That was probably the sport -- was probably one of my best sports."

So, when it comes down to Wilson vs. Tebow on the diamond ... Russ said he hasn't actually seen Tim play with the Mets -- but he's just that confident in his abilities.

"I'ma go with me," Russ said. "I'ma go with me. I can turn a mean double-play, Tim."

FYI -- Russ was a legit baseball STAR back in high school ... he was a projected top-10 round pick in the 2007 MLB draft who fell to the 41st round because he had told teams he was going to forego a baseball career for college.

Russ -- a middle infielder -- kept playing at N.C. State ... and actually got drafted AGAIN in the 4th round of the 2010 MLB draft.

Russ dabbled in the sport, playing in some minor league games for various MLB teams' affiliates ... but, obviously, football took precedent.

Wilson has done some celeb MLB appearances since ... remember, he famously got in a spring training game for the Yankees back in 2018 -- but he struck out in his lone plate appearance.

"I guess God had different plans for me," Russ said of his sports career. "Now I get to spin the rock and throw deep go balls to our guy DK Metcalf."

Thom Brennaman will be back in a baseball broadcasting booth ... just 4 months after he resigned from his last gig for using a gay slur on-air.

MLB Network insider Ken Rosenthal reported Tuesday the Roberto Clemente League -- which kicks off its season Tuesday -- has hired the former Reds play-by-play man to announce its games in 2020-21.

Of course, it's a huge deal for 57-year-old Thom ... just seconds after a hot mic picked up his homophobic comment during his broadcast of the Reds-Royals game on Aug. 19, he said he wasn't sure if he'd ever get another job in the industry again.

"I don't know if I'm gonna be putting on this headset again," Brennaman said at the time.

While the Roberto Clemente League isn't exactly the MLB ... it's still a respected gig in sports media.

The league -- which consists of 5 teams in Puerto Rico -- has current and former MLB players scattered throughout its rosters.